[Manthink]

It is a good interview. Our future PM spoke frankly

DPM Wong: I think in every country, it is very hard to have the external perspective. Even in Singapore, such a small island, people tend to be focused on their domestic concerns, let alone large countries like America and China where naturally their concerns will be more domestic in nature. So I fully understand that Americans and Chinese people will have more domestic pressing concerns to deal with. But we continue to engage the American leadership and we hope that they will do what they can to help ensure that America continues to have a strong leadership role in engaging the region.
America has many friends in this part of the world, as we consistently tell our friends in America. We are grateful for America's role post World War Two - America expended blood and treasure to ensure peace and stability in the region and to ensure progress for the region. We certainly look forward to America continuing that and doing more in Southeast Asia.

LOL! I consider Bloomberg interview with LW as "nice", rather than "good". And certainly not as "frank" since everyone in Asia can see - >> That America of Today is not the America of WW2.

Note LW uses the word "Hope" when he mention about "American leadership" is more of diplomatic nicety rather than frank statement when the Interviewer post a question which basically says US no longer is as engaging in trade as China :

Micklethwait: Do you think people in the United States understand the predicament of countries like yourselves, like Malaysia, Indonesia, all these different countries have with China that does want to have trade pacts, and America that does not....